Thu 19Jul18
La empresa pública Auditorio de Tenerife ha abierto la convocatoria del programa Escuela del Espectador para el próximo curso. El proyecto se desarrolla por medio de dos conferencias al mes, impartidas por Iván Morales, que tienen como objetivo profundizar en los conocimientos de los participantes acerca de diferentes aspectos y procesos de los espectáculos de ópera, danza y música. Además, se asistirá gratuitamente a algunos eventos que tengan lugar en el Auditorio de Tenerife para motivar análisis y reflexiones posteriores en grupo.
Para formar parte de este grupo estable de ciudadanos no se requiere conocimientos previos, sino la inquietud de convertirse en un espectador activo. Los participantes de la Escuela verán aumentadas sus competencias en los lenguajes artísticos que conforman la oferta cultural de Auditorio de Tenerife. Se abordarán una serie de conocimientos introductorios para cada uno de los géneros que forman parte de la programación, además de recibir charlas específicas sobre cada evento, con asistencia gratuita a los mismos y análisis posterior promoviendo la discusión, el consenso, el disenso y el encuentro con los otros.
Para participar hay que enviar un correo electrónico a ee@auditoriodetenerife.com antes de las 14:00 horas del jueves 26 de julio indicando: nombre y apellidos, teléfono de contacto y dirección de correo electrónico. Como respuesta obtendrán un formulario para profundizar en el perfil del participante y el martes 31 de julio se les comunicará el resultado de la selección para esta nueva edición de la Escuela del Espectador. El primer encuentro está previsto para el jueves 13 de septiembre las 19:30 horas en el Auditorio de Tenerife. A partir de entonces las reuniones tendrán carácter quincenal, comenzarán a las 20:00 horas y tendrán una duración aproximada de 90 minutos. La Escuela del Espectador forma parte del Área Educativa y Social del Auditorio de Tenerife, que cuenta como colaboradores con la Fundación Cepsa y la Obra Social “la Caixa”.
Wed 18Jul18
The Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Tenerife (Fimante) is bringing, through the Nova Ars Organorum series, organist Juan de la Rubia to Auditorio de Tenerife on Sunday, 22 July to play the 21st century organ -unique in the world- at the Sala Sinfónica. The concert, El órgano sinfónico 2.0, is starting at 12:30 pm and includes different music styles that show the versatility of an instrument whose 3,835 pipes are set on the walls of this emblematic hall.
Rosario Álvarez, head of the Nova Ars Organorum series, explained that this organ “is unique in the world thanks to its registers and technical means.” This musicologist was advisor in the process of construction of this colossal organ, which took 22,000 hours of work by expert Albert Blancafort and his team. She pointed out that “we are proud to have an instrument of this category, which has a superb sonorous capacity”. “The audience will be surrounded by the sound”, she revealed as she mentioned that “in the Canary Islands we are very lucky to have organs from the 17th through to the 21st century.
On his part, Juan de la Rubia, who was one of the musicians to accompany the first organ concert at the Auditorio in 2005, stated that, “organs are huge, complex machines and the one at Auditorio de Tenerife is even more so because of its size”. The organist of the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, said that “because it’s a 21st century instrument, it has many present-day accessories, which allow playing from the oldest repertoire to the most experimental contemporary piece.”
The concert opens with the transcription for organ of the famous Chaconne for violin by Johann Sebastian Bach, performing a version made greater by the instrument; and Felix Mendelssohn’s Sonata Nº 4 which portrays the admiration this composer felt for Bach and his style. Guilmant’s piece shows a new period for organ music, where the instrument evolved to become what it is today; finally, Charles Tournemire will make the audience feel how great this music is. An improvisation by Juan de la Rubia closes the programme, displaying the colourful palette of registers and pitches the king of instruments has.
The last time the organ at the Auditorio de Tenerife was played was in May 2015, at the closing concert of the Organ International Week. On that occasion, Jean Guillou, along with other musicians, performed works composed for the organ and pieces by Bach and Liszt. The French organist stated that the Sala Sinfónica de Tenerife was “the most beautiful concert hall that I have ever seen, the most original in concept, everything is new, different from what I know.” “The sonority of this organ has a presence of its own”, he reflected.
Tickets for this concert can be purchase at the box office in Auditorio de Tenerife from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday; on the internet www.auditoriodetenerife.com or calling 902 317 327.
.beMon 16Jul18
El primer Campamento Coral de Tenerife, que ha puesto en marcha el Cabildo, comenzó hoy [día 16] sus primeras clases impartidas por profesores de nivel internacional. Las aulas de música del IES La Laboral de La Laguna reciben durante toda la semana lecciones de canto, dirección coral y piano. Los 39 alumnos, que abarcan desde los noveles de ocho años hasta músicos profesionales, finalizarán el campus con un concierto, que tendrá lugar el último día [sábado 21].
Los dos grupos de coralistas (divididos por edades: de 8 a 14 años y de mayores de 15 años) vivieron su primera toma de contacto esta mañana con clases de técnica vocal impartidas por Basilio Astulez, profesor de Canto Coral en el Conservatorio Municipal de Leioa en el País Vasco, y Cara Tasher, directora de Estudios Corales en la University of North Florida.
El grupo de estudiantes avanzados de piano interesados en formarse como pianistas acompañantes iniciaron su proceso de aprendizaje de la mano de Esther Andueza, pianista y jefa del departamento de Repertorio y Canto en el Conservatorio Profesional Arturo Soria de Madrid.
Los aprendices de directores corales tendrán que esperar a mañana [martes 17] para comenzar a recibir los conocimientos del portugués Paulo Vassalo Lourenço, doctor en Dirección Coral por la Universidad de Cincinnati/College-Conservatory of Music.
Las clases tienen lugar desde las 09:00 horas de la mañana y hasta las 18:00 horas, según el grupo y el día. Además, el miércoles están citados todos los grupos y profesores para recibir a partir de las 19:00 horas una Sesión de música nocturna. La inscripción, con un precio de 85 euros, aún está abierta y se puede realizar por medio de la web de Tenerife Artes Escénicas (www.tenerifeartesescenicas.com/escuela-coral) o a través del correo electrónico This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
La jornada del sábado [día 21] consistirá en los ensayos generales para la función final, que tendrá lugar a las 12:00 horas en el IES La Laboral, donde harán una muestra pública de lo aprendido durante la semana.
Este campamento está organizado por la Escuela Coral de Tenerife, que dirige Roxana Schmunk, que está incluida en el programa de Tenerife Artes Escénicas del Cabildo, con la intención de ofrecer formación en el marco de la estrategia Tenerife 2030 para niños y jóvenes con edades entre 8 y 25 años, estudiantes de piano y personas interesadas en dirección coral (integrantes de coros, profesores de música, músicos, directores, etc.).
Mon 16Jul18
La espiritualidad de la música del tunecino Dhafer Youssef, uno de los músicos más solicitados del género, marca el inicio de la última semana de conciertos de la 27ª edición del 27º Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Más Heineken. Youssef tocará el miércoles 18 en el Auditorio de Tenerife (Sala Sinfónica, 21:00 horas). Las entradas se pueden comprar en este enlace. Será el preludio, tras el concierto el martes en el Teatro Leal de João Bosco, de un fin de fiesta que se trasladará el jueves, viernes y sábado a Puerto de la Cruz.
Youssef llega a esta cita presentando uno de los mejores discos de esta década, Diwan Of Beauty and Odd, grabado en el legendario estudio Sear Sound, con los mejores músicos que la escena del jazz de Nueva York podría ofrecer: Aaron Parks en el piano, Ben Williams en el bajo, Mark Guiliana en la batería y Ambrose Akinmusire en la trompeta.
El miércoles el Auditorio de Tenerife se llenará de la espiritualidad y magia escénica de Dhafer Youssef, músico contrastadísimo, una referencia para muchos músicos del norte de África, principalmente del Magreb, y una institución en el jazz y el World music. Youssef nació en Teboulba (Tunez), en el seno de una familia modesta y con gran tradición musical. Su abuelo lo inició en los recitales quranic y poco a poco fue descubriendo el potencial de su voz y así encontró su vocación. Dhafer recuerda pasar horas cantando en el Hammam de la aldea local. Las resonancias producidas por su voz en ese lugar cavernoso lo fascinan, alimentando su curiosidad juvenil. Aspirando a explorar nuevos horizontes, Dhafer abandonó su pueblo natal por la capital.
En Túnez, se unió al conservatorio musical de Nahj Zarkoun. Insatisfecho con la calidad de la enseñanza, se trasladó a Austria con la ambición de completar su formación musical. La exaltación creativa proporcionada por el multiculturalismo en Viena y los múltiples encuentros que tiene allí le abren un nuevo mundo de posibilidades. Después de comenzar sus estudios en musicología, se dio cuenta que de ya no estaba interesado en el mundo académico. Seducido por el jazz y otros géneros musicales como la música india, participó en numerosas jam sessions y encuentros en diferentes bares y clubes con, por ejemplo, Wolfgang Pusching. Finalmente conoció a Gerhard Reiter, el percusionista austríaco con el que fundó su primera banda, Zeryab. En 1996, sus múltiples descubrimientos y experiencias en Viena dieron a luz a su primer álbum Musafir.
2001 marca un momento clave en su carrera con la edición de Electric Sufi con Wolfgang Muthspiel (guitarra), Markus Stockhausen (trompeta), Deepak Ram (bansuri), Dieter Ilg (bajo), Mino Cinelu (percusión) Rodericke Packe (electrónica), así como Will Calhoun (batería) y Doug Wimbish (bajo). Fue su primer experimento con música electrónica.
Su extraordinaria carrera está marcada también por varias colaboraciones, que alterna con otros proyectos musicales como el dúo con el legendario músico de tabla Zakir Hussain con quien realiza una gira en Europa e India; un dúo con Dave Holland; y el proyecto Digital'Africa con el gran maestro de la kora Ballake Sissoko. En 2016 regresa a Nueva York, donde se produce la génesis en 2016 del disco Diwan Of Beauty and Odd.
Dhafer Youssef. Diwan of Beauty And Odd
Dhafer Youssef: Voz y laúd.
Aaron Parks: Piano.
Matt Brewer: Bajo.
Ferenc Nemeth: Batería.
Thu 12Jul18
The itinerant didactic initiative Ópera en Ruta has come to an end having visited 17 municipalities and reached 671 people, who have come to the 44 meetings held in facilities belonging to Red Insular de Bibliotecas. [Island Library Network].
The talks, which started in October, dealt with six major productions of the 2017-2018 Ópera de Tenerife season. The first two titles, Capuletti and Monteschi, and Faust each had a talk; followed by 19 conferences on the opera Don Carlo. For the family performance of The Magic Flute, nine talks were arranged, one of which was exclusive to students at IES de Arico.
The same number of meetings were held for The Traviata, coinciding with the first time the European Opera Days were held at Auditorio de Tenerife. Two of these talks took place at the Anaga District (San Andrés) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and at the Espacio Cultural La Capilla, in the main building of La Laguna University. For the last show in the season -the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda- five talks were scheduled.
Iván Morales was in charge of the talks in which he revisited every title in order to reveal not only the structure and its main arias, but also to talk about the historical period the piece was written in and the main biographical details of the author. Some of the most recurrent questions in these meetings had to do with the dress code to attend an opera performance or the need to speak Italian in order to understand it. The speaker highlights the group of 44 people from the village of Vilaflor and 25 from Garachico who went to the opera for the first time in their lives.
This pioneering cultural journey is part of the communication policy of Ópera de Tenerife in the current season. The aim is to reach new audiences and show the world of opera from a new perspective. This is one of the objectives included in the Tenerife 2030 strategy promoted by the Cabildo Insular.
The project is back in September to include the titles of the 2018-2019 season. Thus, the productions The Italian in Algiers, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Journey to Reims, Turandot, Hansel and Gretel, The Traviata and The Wildcat Will have all a calendar of talks so people attending can familiarise themselves with the productions by Auditorio de Tenerife.
Thu 12Jul18
Tenerife-born dancer Daniel Abreu, who got three Max Awards of the Performing Arts 2018 -best performance, bets choreography and best show for “La desnudez”-, will be the artistic director of Lava, the new Auditorio de Tenerife resident dance company. Daniel Abreu, Premio Nacional de Danza 2014, said he was delighted to “work for the Canaries in this new project”.
Lava is a company made up of six contemporary dancers and their first show will be on at Festival de Tenerife, to take place next autumn. “The idea it to bring choreographers from different parts of the world so they can share with our dancers their views on dance” Abreu revealed. He will combine his work at Lava with managing his company and the different choreographic commissions he receives every year.
“When I started, I’d have liked to have something like Lava to further and improve my development as a dancer”, the award-winning artists stated. In his view, “a company is the place where a dancer develops”. Daniel Abreu bears in mind that “through Lava we want to recover Canarian dancers who had to leave the island. Canarian dancers have much to contribute to dance”, he said.
Daniel Abreu thinks that, “the problem with contemporary dance is the programmers, not the audience”. “Contemporary dance is part of the Canaries and people like José Luis Rivero, Roberto Torres or Natalia Medina are fundamental”, the Lava director maintained, who in addition to the three Max awards, he boasts a long list of prizes in recognition of his work. “Thanks to the national award I’ve been able to present my work with a bit less energy because now it is known: the prize guarantees quality,” the award-winning dancer said.
Fri 06Jul18
El Coro Juvenil de Auditorio de Tenerife ofrece un concierto solidario este domingo 8 de julio en la Iglesia Santa María de Añaza, en Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La cita con los coralistas capitaneados por Roxana Schmunk cierra la quinta edición de la semana solidaria que organiza la fundación sin ánimo de lucro El Buen Samaritano.
En el marco de esta puesta en escena, que comenzará tras la misa, sobre las 13:00 horas, ofreciendo un variado repertorio, se venderán rifas con el fin de recaudar fondos para financiar las necesidades de los usuarios de la Fundación.
Durante la semana se han realizado multitud de actividades con un fin solidario y el concierto del Coro Juvenil despide tanto estas jornadas como la programación cultural del curso que realiza la Fundación, que acoge y gestiona los proyectos de acción social de la Parroquia de Santa María de Añaza. La parroquia suele organizar dos conciertos solidarios de este tipo al año.
El Coro Juvenil, un proyecto del Área Educativa y Social de Auditorio de Tenerife adscrita a la estrategia Tenerife 2030 del Cabildo, acaba de lograr tres reconocimientos en el VII Festival Coros de Verano de Lisboa. Los jóvenes coralistas consiguieron el primer puesto en la categoría de menores de 25 años, el segundo en la de Jazz, Gospel y Pop, y el jurado quiso destacar con un premio especial a Cristian Bartolomé como mejor solista por su interpretación de Someone like you.
Thu 05Jul18
The Canarias Jazz & Más Heineken Festival is starting this weekend with a double-bill open air concert at Plaza de los Alisios (back of Auditorio de Tenerife). On Friday, 6 July the programme includes the local band Atlantic Jazz Ensemble, pianist Christian Sands in a trio and trumpetist Keyon Harrold. Concerts start at 9:00 pm and admission is free. Santa Cruz de Tenerife welcomes open-air concerts again with a double bill, as on Saturday, 7th (same place, same time) good music lovers and the loyal followers of the festival can enjoy a second event with the performance of the Alexis Alonso Quartet (Canaries), British Myles Sanko and Californian Jungle Fire. Two eclectic evenings that show different ways of understanding jazz, from classic and pure sounds to the fusion of related rhythms like hip hop, soul or afrobeat.
There will be more than 50 concerts from 28 musical projects in different venues on five islands–La Palma, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife-. The number of gigs gives an idea of the scope of the event thanks to the contribution of the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Adeje, Puerto de la Cruz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Santa Brígida, Puerto del Rosario, Tías, Haría and Los Llanos de Aridane, and the sporsonship of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildos of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, Casa África, Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, Fundación Auditorio y Teatro de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Teatro Leal, Teatro Guiniguada and Binter. Organized by Colorado Producciones, it is once again sponsored by Heineken.
BIOS
Christian Sands, has been nominated five times to a Grammy award and is an emergent jazz power. His piano technique matches his conception of music, offering a new outlook on the language of jazz. Whether swing, bebop, progressive, fusion, Brazilian or Afro-Cuban, Sands deals with the past of music while providing stimulating unusual vehicles for the present and the future. He talks through a wide range of patterns, textures and structures while keeping a strong sense of good taste and swing. His career took a huge leap when Grammy-winner bass player, Christian McBride asked Sands, who was 20 at the time, to join him at the Village Vanguard and his big band. This led to his becoming a member of the bass player’s trio shortly after and touring the world with them.
Members:
Christian Sands: Piano.
Yasushi Nakamura: Bass.
Jonathan Barber: Drums.
Keyon Harrold was born and brought up in Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb. His city has a prominent place in his album The Mugician as he goes through the difficult times its humblest residents have to experience. His music is based on elements from jazz, classical music, rock, blues and hip hop, to create something unique and unmistakably American. Guests like Pharoahe Monch, Gary Clark Jr., Big KRIT, Guy Torry, Georgia, Anne Muldrow and Robert Glasper add to the eclectic nature of the record which comes through as a unified cohesive whole, thanks to Harrold’s virtuoso skills as a trumpeter and composer and his optimistic view on life: “the best days are yet to come”. In Mugician, a combination of "musician" and "magician", Harrold goes beyond the traditional boundaries of the Jazz trumpet. In fact, the album does not even start with the trumpet. The record opens with the song Voicemail which has an inspiring message from Harrold’s mother, set in an exciting orchestral sound. Her words provide the foundation for an album that celebrates family (ten of Keyon’s siblings appear in the record) and the absolute need of optimism against darkness and doubt. Identity and equality issues are also part of the record, at times subtly present under the surface, at times more obviously.
Members:
Keyon Harrold: Trumpet and voices.
Shedrick Mitchell: Piano
Nir Felder: Guitar.
Burniss Travis: Bass.
Charles Haynes: Drums.
Featuring Andrea Pizziconi: Voice.
The Atlantic Jazz Ensemble is a creation of Atlantic Jazz Lab (Atlantic Jazz & New Music Laboratory), whose aim is to provide regular training to help spread, keep and encourage jazz creation in, for and from the Canary Islands. It is all done under the artistic supervision of Natanael Ramos, founder of the lab and one of the most prominent Canarian musicians in the European jazz scene. Since 2016 the group has attracted island audiences with different itinerant projects like the album Round Midnight by Miles Davis and since late 2017, with the project they are presenting now: The Music Of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.
Members:
Natanael Ramos: Trumpet and artistic direction.
Claudio Marrero: Tenor sax.
Francis Hernández: Piano.
Jose Carlos Machado: Double bass.
Nasim López-Palacios: Drums.
England-resident Soul singer and composer, Myles Sanko, made his debut with his EP Born in Black & White, which was acclaimed by both audience and critics in 2013. The album includes seven original funk and soul tracks inspired by great figures of soul like Bill Withers, Otis Redding, Al Green and James Brown, thus proudly acknowledging them as his main music influences. The record is a perfect combination of deep grooves and jazz. Labelled “the Lovechild of Soul Music”, Myles started his career singing and rapping with djs at clubs. He has been a member of popular groups like Bijoumiyo and Speedometer. Sanko is presenting his third album where he adds a new chapter to his particular intense journey. Just Being Me “is about love, hope and politics and has a piece of me in every part”, he says.
Members:
Myles Sanko: Voice.
Rick Hudson: Drums.
Tom O'grady: Keyboard.
Phil Stevenson: Guitar.
Jon Mapp: Bass.
Alex Hitchcock: Sax.
James Copus: Trumpet.
The sound of Jungle Fire is a deep exploration into Afro-Latin Funk with a genuine and explosive approach. This LA TropiFunk group draws on music legends like Irakere, Ray Barreto, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango (among many others) while creating a mixture of Afro-Caribbean and African-West sound that includes breaks of classical funk. Since its beginnings in 2011, Jungle Fire quickly stood out in the LA funk scene in underground clubs and parties across the city. The different musical and cultural origin of the Jungle Fire members are a direct reflection of the musical and cultural scene in Los Angeles. The international and multicultural mixture of sounds is a basic feature of the band’s sound. Both individually and collectively, the members of Jungle Fire have recorded, performed or toured with such different artists as Stevie Wonder, Ozomatli, De La Soul, Celia Cruz, LCD Soundsystem, U2, Greyboy Allstars, Kelis, and many more.
Members:
Alberto López: Percussion.
Steve Haney: Percussion.
Michael Duffy: Percussion.
Sam Halterman: Drums.
Patrick Bailey: Bass.
Aquiles Magaña: Electric guitar.
Sean Billings: Trumpet.
Sam Robles: Baritone Sax.
One of the peculiarities of Alexis Alonso Quartet is their originality in the jazz scene as a cello is an important feature of their sound. The sensitivity of the great cello player Ciro Hernández, the versatility and talent of double bass player Agustín Buenafuente along with one of the best drum players in current jazz, Roberto Amor, blend in to create this wonderful cocktail that has sailed across Alexis Alonso’s compositions and his magic piano, giving as a result truly powerful pieces.
Members:
Alexis Alonso: Piano.
Ciro Hernández: Cello.
Agustín P. Buenafuente: Double bass.
Roberto Amor: Drums.
Useful links:
https://twitter.com/CanariasJazz
Thu 05Jul18
La Sala de Cámara del Auditorio de Tenerife recibe este viernes 6 de julio a las 21:00 horas la muestra del taller de Hula. Esta actividad cumple su séptima edición con medio centenar de alumnos, mujeres y niños, que llevan dos semanas aprendiendo los entresijos de la danza tradicional de Hawái. La entrada a la exhibición de lo aprendido es libre hasta completar aforo.
La tinerfeña Yurena Namahana es la profesora encargada de acercar a los alumnos la cultura hawaiana por medio del baile y la música. Durante las clases, los participantes, divididos en niños y adultos, han tenido la ocasión de aprender canciones, pasos y conocer la vestimenta tradicional de esta isla del Pacífico. Durante las sesiones, que comenzaron el pasado 25 de junio, se han aprendido el Oli Aloha, el cántico de Aloha que lleva el verdadero sentimiento del espíritu de Aloha; los pasos básicos del Hula y sus nombres en hawaiano, acompañados por el instrumento tradicional llamado Ipu Heke; un baile completo de Hula Kahiko, el Hula ancestral, o de Hula Auwana, el Hula contemporáneo.
La inscripción a cualquiera de las modalidades, tres para adultos y una para niños, incluía la letra y traducción del Oli Aloha, los nombres de los pasos del Hula con una explicación de ejecución, la letra del baile en hawaiano con su traducción en folios preparados para añadir los pasos y movimientos, la canción del Hula que han aprendido, el obsequio de un Lei, collar de Hawái, y la oportunidad de adquirir Pā‘ū (falda del Hula), pareos y camisas de Hawái.
Yurena Namahana nació en Tenerife pero hace doce años se trasladó a O‘ahu, Hawái, para conectarse con sus raíces del Pacífico. Realizó los estudios formales del Hula ancestral, convirtiéndose en el 2010 en la primera Kumu Hula, profesora de Hula, de Canarias y de España. Ha bailado e impartido varios talleres de Hula en Hawái, Nueva Zelanda, Japón, Málaga y Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Ha encabezado ceremonias para varios dignatarios incluyendo jueces distinguidos, el obispo presidente de la iglesia episcopal de EEUU y el gobernador de Hawái. Namahana también ha tomado parte en varios documentales de Hula y durante seis años fue la Kumu Hula de un afamado colegio privado en Honolulu fundado por la Reina Emma de Hawaii, enseñando a más de 350 alumnos.
Este taller de Hula forma parte del Área Educativa y Social del Auditorio de Tenerife, que cuenta como colaboradores con la Fundación Cepsa y la Obra Social “la Caixa”.
Thu 05Jul18
Swiss soprano Larissa Alice Wissel got the first prize at the 5th Ópera de Tenerife International Singing Competition, which this year welcomed 38 candidates from 18 different countries. The second prize went to Romanian soprano Alexandra Grigoras and the Korean baritone Insik Choi won third prize. He also got the Extraordinary Audience Award, granted by the attendees at the final gala held on 4 July at Sala de Cámara in Auditorio de Tenerife.
A new feature this year is the “María Orán Award” for best zarzuela aria performance, with which Ópera de Tenerife pays tribute to the memory of the Tenerife singer and encourages the internationalization of opera in Spanish. The award was granted to Spanish soprano Laura del Río who has now secured a role in one of the zarzuela season titles of Ópera de Tenerife.
In addition to the usual synergy of the talent displayed by artists and the different artistic directors present in the event, several special prizes were agreed on as well as roles in productions of their respective seasons. Ópera de Tenerife is hiring soprano Alexandra Grigoras in the role of Liù (Turandot, Puccini), Carmen Mateo as Violetta (La traviata, Verdi) and Mexican bass Alejandro López. Spanish soprano Elvira Padrino gets a zarzuela role. Ópera de Oviedo, on their part, reached an agreement with Alejandro López and Larissa Alice Wissel, who is also wanted at the Teatro Municipale di Piacenza. They are also taking part in a masterclass with maestro Giulio Zappa and sopranos Marta Mari (Italy), Cecilia Rodríguez (Spain) and Olena Sloia (Romania).
The winner this year started to study violin and piano when she was six years old in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, obtaining aged 13 a Julius Stern Institut grant for young talents, being accepted in Universität der Künste Berlin. She furthered her studies at Mozarteum in Salzburg and through masterclasses under the direction of Bernadette Manca di Nissa and Fernando Cordeiro. In 2014 she won three international competitions: As.li.co. in the debut section; the Rheinsberg in Berlin; and the 4th Santa Chiara competition in Naples, where she was awarded first prize and the Audience Prize. In 2016 she was a finalist in the 35th Belvedere Competition in Cape Town.
The competition is closing on Thursday, 5 with the traditional award-winners concert to take place at Sala de Cámara in Auditorio de Tenerife at 7:30 pm. The winners will have the chance to show their different opera skills with maestro Dario Tondelli as accompanist.
The competition has had the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) which, through the Programme for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE), in the Visitors category, provides a prestigious international jury whose members have a solid artistic and technical reputation. Although it is chaired by As.li.co vice-president Giovanna Lomazzi, on this occasion it will be the artistic director of the Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza, Cristina Ferrari will be taking her place.
Other members of the jury include casting manager and musical director assistant of Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Alessandro di Gloria; the general manager of Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Fulvio Macciardi; the stage manager and artistic production manager of Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Pablo Maritano; the artistic programming manager of Teatro Regio di Parma, Cristiano Sandri; the artistic manager of the Young Artists Ópera del Teatro Bolshoi, Dmitry Vdovin; the member of the Society for the promotion of Chinese Traditional Culture, Qing Xu; the general and artistic director of Ópera de Oviedo, Javier Menéndez; intendant of Theater und Philharmonie Essen, Hein Mulders; and the artistic director of Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona, Christina Scheppelmann.
Wed 04Jul18
Ópera de Tenerife has revealed the 13 finalists of their 5th International Singing Competition, who will be competing today, 4 July, at 6:00 pm at Auditorio de Tenerife. Each singer will perform an opera aria chosen by the jury or a zarzuela aria if they are competing for the María Orán Award. Maestro Dario Tondelli is their accompanying pianist.
The following are competing in the opera category: Swiss soprano Larissa Alice Wissel with “A vos jeux... Pȃle et blonde” (Hamlet, Thomas); Romanian soprano Olena Sloia with “Glitter and be gay” (Candide, Bernstein); Italian soprano Marta Mari with “L’altra notte in fondo al mare” (Mefistofele, Boito); Mexican bass Alejandro López with “Ella giammai m’amò” (Don Carlo, Verdi); Romanian soprano Alexandra Grigoraş with “Depuis le jour” (Louise, Charpentier); Korean baritone Insik Choi with “O Carlo, ascolta... Io morrò ma lieto in core” (Don Carlo, Verdi). And Spanish sopranos Cecilia Rodríguez with “Tornami a vagheggiar” (Alcina, Händel); Carmen Mateo with “Eccomi in lieta vesta... Oh, quante volte” (I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Bellini); Laura del Río with “È strano... Ah, forse è lui... Sempre libera” (The traviata, Verdi).
Also, Romanian soprano Olena Sloia with “Iris de amor” (Marina, Arrieta); and Spanish sopranos Cecilia Rodríguez, Elvira Padrino, and Laura del Río who are singing “Salida de Cecilia” (Cecilia Valdés, Roig); “De España vengo” (El niño judío, Luna); and “Canción del ruiseñor” (Doña Francisquita, Vives), respectively, are competing for the María Orán Award.
The winners will get one of the three prizes of 5,000, 3,000 and 1,000 Euros respectively in addition to the María Orán Award, which consists of performing a role in one of the Ópera de Tenerife zarzuela season. There is an honorary Extraordinary Audience Award, voted by the audience attending the final. Also, but not in competition, the different artistic managers present at the event will offer roles in their season productions according to the singers’ suitability to their requirements.
As usual, the award-winners will give a concert at Sala de Cámara tomorrow, 5 July at 7:30 pm. Tickets for this concert are available through the normal sale channels of Auditorio de Tenerife: at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday, on www.auditoriodetenerife.com or calling 902 317 327.
The competition has the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) which, through the Programme for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE), in the Visitors category, provides a prestigious international jury whose members have a solid artistic and technical reputation. Although it is chaired by As.li.co vice-president Giovanna Lomazzi, on this occasion, Cristina Ferrari, artistic director of the Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza, will be taking her place.
Other members of the jury include casting manager and musical director assistant of Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Alessandro di Gloria; the general manager of Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Fulvio Macciardi; the stage manager and artistic production manager of Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Pablo Maritano; the artistic programming manager of Teatro Regio di Parma, Cristiano Sandri; the artistic manager of the Young Artists Ópera del Teatro Bolshoi, Dmitry Vdovin; the member of the Society for the promotion of Chinese Traditional Culture, Qing Xu; the general and artistic director of Ópera de Oviedo, Javier Menéndez; intendant of Theater und Philharmonie Essen, Hein Mulders; and the artistic director of Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona, Christina Scheppelmann.
Mon 02Jul18
Focusing on the performing arts, the Festival de Tenerife is back at the island’s cultural scene. They are offering 26 national shows in addition to different Canarian events. Cabildo de Tenerife president, Carlos Alonso, the Culture and Education Director, José Luis Rivero, and the mayors of the cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna, José Manuel Bermúdez and José Alberto Díaz, respectively, presented the details of the festival at a press conference which included the participation of dancer Daniel Morales and actors Marta Viera and María de Vigo. With the motto Al caer las hojas, levantamos el telón [As leaves fall we raise the curtain], the festival has scheduled 41 circus, theatre, dance and opera shows plus several workshops and masterclasses from 4 October to 15 December.
Shows will be held at theatres and in the streets, including premieres in the Canary Islands of national projects, in-house productions, and a series of great literary classics. The festival venues include Auditorio de Tenerife, Teatro Guimerá, Teatro Leal and Paraninfo at Universidad de La Laguna. This year the focus is also on the streets so there will be open-air events in both cities.
Carlos Alonso explained the seasonal character of the Festival, “which is stronger this year and includes the streets of Santa Cruz and La Laguna in the programme”. The president talked about the aim of the project to become a leading national event. “It is not just a cultural proposal but it also includes elements of economic activity such as the development of professions or hiring staff, which grow within the Tenerife 2030 strategy so that the people who live here have a better Island”.
José Manuel Bermúdez explained that “the Festival de Tenerife involves plenty of activity and is an added value”. The mayor of Santa Cruz talked about the two venues in the city: “we provide the oldest theatre in the Canary Islands, Teatro Guimerá, and Auditorio, which has been a leading venue throughout its ten years of existence”.
José Alberto Díaz recalled the cultural activity in La Laguna where its “streets, museums and artistic spaces are proof of citizens’ commitment to culture”. “This festival will have great economic impact on the city thanks to the activity it will generate”, La Laguna mayor stated.
On his part, José Luis Rivero revealed that the programme “will include a wide range of performing arts forms: theatre, circus, dance, opera and the streets”. The island director trusts that in the autumn “we’ll have perfect weather and the public will respond to our first-rate programme”.
Rivero highlighted that “80% of the programme includes events to be seen for the first time in the Canary Islands, including the premiere of five shows, while relying on the creativity, productivity and talent available on the islands to generate business too, so that more Canarian productions can take on international shows”.
Programme
The 2nd Festival de Tenerife opens in La Laguna on 4 October with a street show, Luz de farol, an in-house Festival production made up of dance pieces by local dancers around the city’s streetlamps. Luz de farol will then go on to Santa Cruz on 9 November with different pieces.
A highlight in the programme is the first performance in the Canaries of The Umbilical Brothers, one of the best current clown groups, who blend vocal and physical abilities with theatre, clown and comedy. They are sure to amaze everyone with their improvisations at Teatro Guimerá on 19 October with Best of the worst of the best of The Umbilical Brothers.
As for theatre, one of the strong points in the programme is He nacido para verte sonreír, by Teatro de La Abadía on 2 and 3 November. This present-day melodrama is directed by Pablo Messiez and was written by Santiago Loza, a key figure in today’s playwriting in Latin America. The main characters are mother and son, performed by Isabel Ordaz and Fernando Delgado-Hierro.
With Lucia di Lammermoor of the Ópera de Tenerife 2018/2019 season, Tenerife tenor Celso Albelo and Russian soprano Irina Lungo will be on stage at Auditorio de Tenerife to play the part of Sir Edgardo and Lucia in this drama by Donizetti. The premiere of this coproduction of Ópera de Tenerife with Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Fundación Ópera de Oviedo will take place on 20 November.
On 2 December the recently established company Lava is giving their first performance. This Auditorio de Tenerife resident group is made up of six dancers under the artistic direction of Daniel Abreu, the Tenerife-born Premio Nacional de Danza [National Dance Award] who won three prizes at the last Max Awards.
The festival closes at Teatro Guimerá on 7 and 8 December with Moby Dick, starring Josep María Pou. The Catalan actor will play Captain Ahab, one of the greatest literary characters who represents unreasonable human obsession, capable of overriding free will and removing good-nature from the soul.
Three of the companies coming to Tenerife for the Festival will bring to the island more than their productions. The Teatro Clásico de Sevilla company is giving an additional performance for school children of their piece Luces de bohemia. This play by Ramón María del Valle-Inclán, which led to the emergence of esperpento as a theatre genre, is about Max Estrella, the blind visionary poet whose misfortune goes with him till his last breath.
TeatroLab Madrid is also coming to Festival de Tenerife. The project is an open space for theatrical creation including the participation of all its members. Through specific training it puts into practice the View-point techniques, to answer intuitively to what is happening on the stage; and Suzuki, a strict theatrical discipline which draws on ballet, Japanese and Greek traditional theatre, martial arts and flamenco. There will be a masterclass for professionals about these techniques during the Festival. They are also staging an Audience Creation Lab for the general public. The final event is the show Cuatro corazones con freno y marcha atrás at Teatro Leal on 16 November.
Lastly, a section of the Festival will seek the collaboration of women who are over 70 years old for the dance workshop the Mariantònia Oliver company is bringing. It will end with the staging of Las muchas at Sala Castillo in Auditorio de Tenerife on 23 November.
The Cabildo, with the Tenerife 2030 strategy as a guideline, along with the town councils of Santa Cruz and La Laguna are committed to the festival with the aim to encourage the cultural programme in both cities as well as the exhibition of Canarian productions, where the talent of local creators will be displayed. The event offers an opportunity to commercialize and distribute their work.